Bottom Line
The Nomatic Travel Pack is a sleek, feature-packed option designed for minimalist travelers who seek organization and premium-grade construction. Crafted from durable, water-resistant materials, it’s built to handle the rigors of everyday use and short travel. Its expandable design allows you to increase capacity from 20L to 30L, offering flexibility for day trips or light travel. With unique features like a protective sunglasses case and retractable key chain, the Travel Pack makes our list of top travel backpacks.
The Nomatic Travel Pack is one of the smallest packs in our lineup with a base volume of 20 liters. However, it can be increased to 30 liters by unzipping the expansion zipper for travelers requiring a little more space. Though we were not able to fully fit everything needed for a week’s worth of travel, the Travel Pack is great for a weekend or dedicated lightweight packers. With a whopping 22 different pockets, this is one of the most heavily featured backpacks of any in our lineup.
The Travel Pack lacks the suspension, waistbelt, and rigid frame of other packs in our lineup. This makes it less suited for long walks while weighted down but is light and comfortable with a smaller load. The premium build quality comes at a premium price, so this is not the best entry-level pack. However, dedicated travelers will find its myriad of features and excellent craftsmanship worthy of taking on their next trip.
How We Tested
Every travel backpack tested got put through a standardized packing test where we investigated the organization of the bag by packing it with everything we needed for a five-day trip. We carried the bag up and down stairs, through airports, and on trails to test its durability, comfort, and performance across multiple months of use.
Quick Specs
Nomatic 30L Travel Pack
Highly featured travel bag
CleverHiker Rating: 4.3/5
Price: $300
Volume: 30 L
Weight: 3 lb. 4 oz.
Dimensions: 19 x 13 x 9 in
Durability: 4.4
Pros
- Stylish
- Waterproof zippers
- TSA laptop compartment
- Main compartment opens fully
- RFID safe pocket
- Removable hipbelt / hideaway straps
- Durable materials
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavier than some others
- Bulky profile
Organization & Storage
With a compact 20-liter volume, the Travel Pack is the smallest bag in our lineup. However, simply unzip the expandable side to increase the volume to 30 liters. Unless you’re a lightweight packer, the Travel Pack lacks the volume for big trips. It is best suited as an overnight or weekend travel backpack.
The main compartment is separated from the laptop sleeve by a zipped mesh divider, and the underside of the lid is equipped with two smaller pockets for keeping small items organized. Even though it lacks any compression straps, the rigid structure of the bag adequately keeps packed gear securely in place without much movement.
Features
With an incredible 22 pockets, the Nomatic Travel Pack is one of the most heavily featured packs in our lineup. Six mesh pockets are located within the main compartment alone – one of which comes equipped with a retractable key chain and another with a plastic sunglasses case. In a great design choice, the outside has two water bottle sleeves that are magnetic to fold down when not in use. A secret stash pocket and RFID-safe passport pocket are great for keeping valuables secure; however, we wished that the main compartment came with lockable zippers for added security. With a pass-through pocket under the back panel and an oversized top handle, the Travel Pack quickly attaches to a roller bag handle in either vertical or horizontal orientation. An impressive array of features makes this pack great for anyone who loves to organize their gear efficiently and securely.
Comfort & Fit
For its small volume, the Travel Pack is a heavy bag. Though this gives it excellent durability, this is not one for the ultralight enthusiast. We were not overly impressed with the comfort of the shoulder straps, especially while the bag was fully packed. They are thinly padded and narrowly shaped providing limited support. Without a waistbelt, the Travel Pack’s carrying capacity is limited. It may be comfortable enough for a short trip without much gear, but it is not our top choice when loaded down with weight.
Durability & Protection
The Travel Pack has a rigid shape that provides excellent protection for any fragile items. The outer material is thick and has a rubberized feeling to add weather resistance and durability. The zippers are sealed, further adding to the bag’s weather resistance. The laptop compartment has relatively thin padding compared to other bags tested, but we did not think it left our electronics vulnerable in any way. For a smaller pack, the Travel Pack boasts impressive durability often found in much larger bags.
Should You Buy The Nomatic Travel Pack?
The Nomatic 30L Travel Pack is a premium piece of travel gear that comes at a premium price tag. It’s not be the most approachable but is sure to impress experienced travelers looking for a highly featured and well-designed bag. With 22 pockets and unique features like a sunglasses case and retractable key chain, the Travel Pack has impressive features. It’s thick outer material and sealed zippers give it weather resistance and durability. Though lacking enough volume for trips more than a long weekend, the Travel Pack makes for a great long weekend bag for a light packer.
What Other Travel Backpacks Should You Consider?
Check out our full gear guide to see all of our favorite travel backpacks.
Thule Aion Review: Similarly designed specifically with travel in mind, the Thule Aion has great features like an included waterproof bag for wet and dirty clothes at the end of a long trip.
The North Face Basecamp Voyager Review: Another highly protective bag with a similar volume, the Basecamp Voyager is a great choice for a daypack or weekend trip.
Cotopaxi Allpa 35 Review: With a larger volume and more comfortable carry system, the Allpa 35 is a great pack for longer trips.
